GOVERNOR NO LONGER LINKED TO BUSINESS

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, January 18, 1992                   TAG: 9201180128
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Staff report
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short
GOVERNOR NO LONGER LINKED TO BUSINESS
Gov. Douglas Wilder said he wanted to consider establishing privately owned liquor stores in Virginia in late 1990, then beat a hasty retreat when questions were raised about whether his son and two close political friends would profit from such a move.
At issue was Wine & Beer Warehouse, a rapidly expanding chain of five Richmond-area stores.
The business was owned by Lawrence D. Wilder, the governor's son; H. Louis Salamonsky, a Richmond architect who administers a real estate trust fund for Wilder; and Joel W. Harris, a Richmond businessman who was a senior aide when Wilder was lieutenant governor.
Harris indicated that the chain might be interested in eventually selling liquor.
Wilder, saying he wanted "to avoid any appearance of impropriety," quickly dropped the plan.
He said he would ask the General Assembly to delay any study of privatization until after he left office in January, 1994.
This year, Wilder has renewed his call for a study of having private liquor stores. What's changed, he said, is that his son, Salamonsky and Harris have sold their interests in Wine & Beer Warehouse.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB